Dr. Bill Labonte, D.C.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Headaches (HA) play a significant
role in a person’s quality of life and are one of the most common
complaints that chiropractors see. This comes as no surprise, as one
survey reported 16.6% of adults (18 years and older) suffered from
migraines or other severe headaches during the last three months of
2011. Another study reported that head pain was the fifth LEADING CAUSE
of emergency department (ED) visits in the United States and accounted
for 1.2% of all outpatient visits. These statistics are even worse for
females (18-44 years old), where the three month occurrence rate was
26.1% and the third leading cause for ED visits! Because of the
significant potential side effects of medications, many headache
sufferers turn to non-medication treatment approaches, of which
chiropractic is one of the most commonly utilized forms of
“complementary and alternative approaches” in the management of
tension-type headaches. So, why are
headaches so common? Let’s talk
about posture!

Posture plays a KEY ROLE in the onset and persistence of cervicogenic
headaches. If there is such a thing as “perfect posture,” it might
“look” something like this: viewing a person from the front (starting at
the feet), the feet would flair slightly outwards symmetrically, the
medial longitudinal (inside) arch of the feet would allow enough space
for an index finger to creep under to the first joint (and NOT flat like
so many), the ankles would line up with the shin bones (and NOT roll
inwards), the knees would slightly “knock” inwards and hips would line
up squarely with the pelvis. The shoulders would be level, the arms
would hang freely and not be pronated (rolled) inwards, and head would
be level (not tilted). From the side view, the knees would not be
hyperextended nor flexed, the shoulders would not be forward
(protracted) and MOST IMPORTANT
(at least for headaches), the head would NOT be forward and be able to
have a perpendicular line drawn from the floor through the shoulder, as
this line should pass through the outer opening of the ear. As the head
“translates” or shifts forwards, for every inch of “anterior head translation” (AHT), it essentially gains 10 pounds in weight, which the upper back and neck muscles have to counter balance!

A leading University of California medical author, Dr. Rene Calliet,
MD, wrote that this altered posture can add up to 30 pounds of abnormal
weight to the neck and can “…pull the entire spine out of alignment.” It
can also reduce the lung’s vital capacity by 30%, which can contribute
to all sorts of breathing-impaired health problems! Think of carrying a
30-pound watermelon around your neck all day – the muscle pain from
fatigue would be tremendous! If this is left uncorrected, chronic neck
pain and headaches from pinching off the top three nerves in the neck is
likely. The combination of AHT and shoulder protraction may also lead
to the development of an upper thoracic “hump” and potentially into a
“Dowager Hump” if the Midback vertebrae become compressed (wedged). An
increased rate of mortality of 1.44 is reportedly associated with this
faulty posture!

Between chiropractic adjustments, posture retraining exercises, other
postural corrective care, and strength exercise training, we WILL help
you correct your faulty posture so that neck pain and headaches STOP and don’t progress into a chronic, permanent condition.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Taking regular brisk walks outdoors can help people recovering from a stroke to improve their physical fitness, enjoy a better quality of life, and increase their mobility. The walking group in this study reported a 16.7% improvement in health-related quality of life, and walked 17.6% further in a six- minute physical endurance test. They also had a 1.5% lower resting heart rate at the end of the study than they did at the beginning, while the non-walking groups resting heart rate went up 6.7%. The American Heart Association recommends stroke survivors do aerobic exercise for 20-60 minutes, 3-7 days a week, depending on fitness level.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

7 time Tour de France winner, Lance knows the effects of extreme impact on his body. In his book, Every Second Counts, Lance was quoted saying, "The team wasn't just riders. It was mechanics, masseurs, chefs, soigneurs, and doctors. But the most important man on the team may have been the chiropractor." Lance also stated, "I could not have won without my Chiropractor's help."

Monday, October 14, 2013

Regular exercise as a child can result in improved cognitive function at age 50. Exercise represents a key component of lifestyle interventions to prevent cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Even low levels of exercise can have a positive effect on cognitive function.